Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
by Tigdream
Summary: What happens when Malfoy has an undoable challenge for Hermione?  I leaned in super close to his ear and whispered, "What are you waiting for, Malfoy? Tell me what this undoable challenge is. Hit me with your best shot?"
1. Challenge

Disclaimer: Only the PLOT belongs to me. Unfortunately none of the character do. They belong to J.K. Rowling. But that's ok because this wonderful website gives me the chance to do things MY WAY!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!

A/N: I know this was supposed to be a one – shot but so many people liked it and I finally got an idea for it that worked with me and the characters. So sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for _The Best Day Ever!_

Hermione's POV

Yes! The week was finally over! It had been terrible. It started out listening all night to the two blabber mouths I share a room with talk about the stupid ferret that insists on insulting me every chance he gets. And then I found out that everybody was just pranking me about having a Potions test! I studied so hard I thought my brain would explode! And imagine my embarrassment when I ask Snape about the test and he asks me if I'm so eager to prove I'm a Know-It-All that I would make up a test! Then the next day, Harry decided that he wanted to try out a few new spells and ended up giving me the longest beard in the world. After that-

I'm sorry. I'm complaining, aren't I? But yeah, let's just say this has not been my week. I'm currently heading up to my room to try to get some sleep for tomorrow because the boys want to get up bright and early to go see Hagrid before their big Quidditch game against Slytherin. Although it's a wonder I'm still talking to them after that Potions incident. But I guess it was because they started spouting off at the mouth to Snape in my defense that made me forgive them. Or maybe it was the pretty sapphire necklace that they bought for me in Hogsmead. Eh, tomato, tohmato. (A/N: is that how you spell it? Or does it not make any sense at all?)

"Going somewhere, Mudblood?" a snide voice I would know anywhere asked.

"Does it matter to you, ferret?" I retorted, without turning. I'm hoping that if I don't see him, he'll go away and I can pretend it's a bad dream.

"Not in the least," he said, crashing that plan.

"Well, then why the question?" I asked finally turning, setting my glare on him.

"Just trying to make conversation. Is there something wrong with that?"

He was leaning up against a pillar, his mysterious blue-grey eyes only hinted behind the fine blonde hair falling casually into his face. He had that stupid, arrogant, annoyingly sexy smirk plastered to his face. And I can honestly say I hated him with every fiber of my being.

I shrugged, and answered with a simple, yet firm, "yes."

He just smirked. I glared even harder. "Let me ask you a question now, Malfoy. What the heck are you doing this far out by the Gryffindor Common Room? What could _possibly _bring you this far into the lion's den, you slimy snake?"

His eyes flashed, but only for a moment. "I was looking for you."

I blinked, and then became very suspicious. "Why?" I hissed.

His smirk just grew even wider. "Because you like a challenge. And I have one for you."

I raised an eyebrow. Everyone at this school knew Hermione Granger loved a challenge. They knew that I couldn't resist a battle of wits. I wanted to prove I could do anything. I wanted to set an example that even Muggleborns could perform magic. _And_ I've managed to perform better than almost everyone. The only one that could rival my wits and intelligence was standing right across from me, challenging, taunting me, with that smirk of his. And he knew I would bite the bait.

I straightened my back and raised my head high. "What kind of challenge?"

His danged smirk grew. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist. But you just walked into the snake pit, Mudblood. This is something not even you will be able to do."

Suddenly I felt it. The pride in myself that always came with a challenge because there has never been something I couldn't do if I tried. And I loved proving people wrong. I walked closer to him and his smirk faltered. He just stared at me bewildered that I would close the ten feet distance policy that we had somehow silently agreed upon. And when I finally stopped, I was only one foot away. I leered after a minute of silence had gone by. I decided then to show him I could and would do anything. I leaned in super close to his ear and whispered, "What are you waiting for, Malfoy? Tell me what this undoable challenge is. Hit me with your best shot."

I grinned when I heard him gulp and pulled back in time to see a look of confusion and desire leave his face. He seemed to remember who I was and he sneered. And then, just to show me he wasn't afraid, he leaned in very close to me, and hissed, "Don't play with fire, Mudblood. You'll only get burned." I gasped when I felt his tongue sweep the shell of my ear. I heard myself moan before I opened my eyes and yelped. I hadn't even realized that they'd been closed. I jumped back very quickly and when I saw the smug look on his face, I wished I hadn't done that. Now he really thinks I can't do it.

I glared at him. "Whatever, Malfoy. Just because I don't like your tongue in my ear doesn't mean I can't do your challenge. Which you have you have yet to tell me about," I reminded him.

"The challenge is simple, Granger. It's only one task and I'll give you two weeks to get it done," he said, that smirk appearing again.

"Oh?" I asked. "And what do I get if I get it done."

He grinned from ear to ear, like a child who comes down the stairs at Christmas and sees the thing he wanted most in the whole world.

"I love this part, Granger. The loser has to announce to the whole school that they are in love with the other. And we both know how painful that would be. For either of us," he added as an afterthought.

"Okay. What's the challenge?" I asked.

"Simple. You have to get Blaise Zabini to kiss you."

My jaw dropped. "Why the hell would I do that?" It wasn't that I hated Zabini with all my heart like I did with Malfoy. Zabini had never really done anything to me. He just stood in the background. And it didn't hurt that he was the second hottest guy at this school, again only rivaled by ferret boy. But he was still a slimy Slytherin and a definite player at that. The boy was even colder than Malfoy when it came to girls' hearts. He didn't care one way or the other, just as long as he got what he wanted. And I couldn't stand boys like that. Who only thought girls were good for one thing.

"Because. I'm bored and I need some entertainment. And you like a challenge. Everyone knows that Blaise likes to get action, and he would do most any girl. But not you. And not even because of your filthy blood. It's because he can't stand you as Potter's know-it-all best friend. Believe it or not, Mudblood, Blaise hated you even more than I do. He wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole. So with that being said, do you accept? Or not?"

I thought about it for a moment. I couldn't believe that Malfoy would put his best friend up to this, but then again, he was a Slytherin. But the challenge called to me. And I have never denied it. And I wouldn't start now.

"Two weeks to kiss Zabini?" I asked.

"Exactly," Malfoy answered, excitement written clearly on his face.

"Deal," I said, holding out my hand.

"Deal," he said shaking my hand. He then turned and started walking away, but before he got too far, he looked back over his shoulder and said, "Oh, and Granger, when you pronounce your love for me, please do throw in how hot I am and how much you want to shag me."

I couldn't say anything as he turned around again and kept going. I only moved when I heard his laughter completely dissolve. Oh, I would show him. I would kiss Zabini so well, that he would be begging for more. And then I would laugh as Malfoy pronounced his undying love for me in front of everyone. I would show him if it was the last thing I did.

I turned and started walking to the Common Room again. I _will_ show him that you don't mess with the lioness.

A/N: So what do you think? I think I'm gonna make it into a novel. And thank you elfling 14 for the idea of pranking Hermione. I absolutely loved it. And if anyone wants something thrown in, just pitch me your idea and I'll consider it. Thank you so much for reading and let me know what you think!


	2. Don't Mess With This Lioness

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Let us all bow down. :P

The next morning I woke up around the time that I usually do on the weekends: eight o' clock. It was late enough to where I felt like I'd slept in, but early enough to still get things done. Memories from last night flooded through my mind and I suddenly wished I could go back to bed. How on Earth was I going to get that git to kiss me? We didn't even have a hate relationship for me to work with. We had nothing. Well, maybe that was an advantage. I had a clean slate with him. But didn't Malfoy say that he despised me? Ugh! How dare he hate me? I'd never done anything to the prat! But then again, all the Slytherins hated me for one reason or another. And they all hated me on different levels. I knew that Parkinson and Malfoy hated me most. And then there were the Greengrasses. And it continued from there. It was kind of funny that I'd never even thought of Zabini at all, but then again he never talked. He never sneered or smirked. He's never made himself known, but it turns out he hates me more than Malfoy. Stupid Slytherin.

I silently got up and went about my morning business, still dreading going to the Great Hall. I knew Malfoy would be watching me, smirking and waiting to see what I'd do. Then it hit me. Malfoy was going to win unless I pulled myself together. I was Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake! I never lost, and I certainly wasn't about to start. Especially to that ferret! It was only a kiss. I could do this. Even if it was _him_ who had to kiss _me_, I could do this. Sitting on my bed, brushing my impossible tangle of curls, I began to strategize. What did I know of Zabini? I thought for a moment. I knew he was a player. I knew he always chose the 'hottest' girls at Hogwarts. What else? I knew He was good in Potions and Transfiguration. I thought a little harder. That was all I knew about him.

Okay. For the next couple of days, I would just research Blaise Zabini. That was, after all, what I did best. I'd study him. I'd learn his habits, schedule, and anything else I could. By the end of the week, I'd know him better than his own mother. Then, the next week I'd work on the kiss. I knew how impossible it seemed that I would get him to kiss me by next week, but I wasn't about to give up. So, with the vision of that irritating smirk on Malfoy's face, I marched myself down to the Common Room to meet my friends.

When I got downstairs I was graced by the sight of Ginny levitating an upside down Ron and Harry rolling on the couch laughing. And so was everyone else in the room, for that matter.

"Good morning, everyone," I giggled.

Ginny just nodded in my direction, her intense brown eyes never leaving her protesting brother. Harry got up with some difficulty and made his way towards me, laughing all the way. "Morning, Mione."

I couldn't help but giggle at all of this chaos. I figured I'd have to stop it eventually being a prefect and all, but why rush?

"What'd he do this time?" I asked as Ginny began to bounce Ron up and down in mid-air.

"He told her that the next time he saw her and Seamus snogging that he would punish her severely. She didn't like that too much," Harry said, sobering up a little bit. I put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him. I knew how much he liked Ginny and how much it hurt to see her with Seamus. I felt the same way when I saw Lavender and Ron together. But he didn't see that Ginny wasn't all that into Seamus anyway. He didn't see how she looked at him when she thought no one was paying any attention. I did. Maybe after these next two weeks were over, I'd play matchmaker. I decided now would be a good time to let Ron out of his misery, so I walked over and tapped Ginny on the shoulder.

She grinned slyly at me. "Yes, Hermione?"

I played along and asked in a sing-song voice, "What ya doin'?"

"Hanging Ron upside down."

"Well I'm hungry. So put him down so we can get a move on."

She reluctantly put him down none-too-gently and grumbled as she left the Common Room with Seamus at her heels.

"Thanks, Mione," Ron choked out. "I thought she was going to hang me from the ceiling or something."

"Well, Ronald, you would have deserved it for butting into her business. Seamus is her boyfriend. It's none of your business what they do," I scolded him.

"The bloody hell it isn't!" he exclaimed. "That's my sister! My _little_ sister! If anything happened to her, I'd be dead. My parent would bury me six feet under. Alive!"

I rolled my eyes at his dramatics. "Ronald, you are such a drama queen," I held my hand up when he tried to argue and continued, "Come on. I really am hungry."

We went down to the Great Hall and made our way over to the Weasley twins. I sat down by George and cheerfully said, "Morning."

But George wasn't paying any attention to me. Both Fred and George were grinning wickedly at Ron. "So, Ron, I heard your morning has been a little…upside down today," Fred snickered.

I rolled my eyes. I knew they would just continue from there and I really wasn't in the mood to listen. SO I decided to put Plan Study Zabini into action. Out the corner of my eye, I saw something that simply demanded my attention. Okay. First pancakes, and then out Plan Study Zabini into action. I loaded some pancakes onto my plate and drowned them in butter and syrup. I was about to plunge the first bite into my mouth when Lavender Brown decided to nauseate me with her presence.

"Ronnykins," she said in her little whiney voice, "why didn't you wait for me?" She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted in what I'm sure she thought was an attractive way. It just made me want to puke. Suddenly I lost my appetite completely. I shove the pancakes away from me and Harry, Ginny, Fred, and George all looked at me apologetically.

"Well, Lav Lav, Hermione was ready to go, so we all went," Ron said through a mouthful of eggs.

Lavender took turns glaring at me and Ron. "Oh, I see," she huffed. "So _Hermione_ is more important than me." I wasn't too keen on the she sneered my name.

"Oh, of course not, Lavender! Ron is definitely going to drop his best friend since first year for some stupid little bimbo," I sneered. I picked up my belonging and left Ron and Lavender gaping after me as the other four barely contained their grins.

As I stormed out, I glanced over to the Slytherin table and saw Malfoy smirking wickedly at me while Zabini just sat there eating. That was when I decided that studying Zabini first wasn't going to work well with me. I was going to get him to kiss me. And Ron would feel what I felt every day I saw him snuggled up to 'Lav Lav.' Oh yes. Zabini was going to kiss me. Malfoy was going to lose. And Ron was going to realize that I was perfect for him.

I shot Malfoy a glare as I walked out of the Great Hall. They were all going to see that you do not mess with Hermione Granger, I thought as I ran to the library to begin planning.


	3. Bets

Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine.

**Draco's POV**

I watched with deep satisfaction as Granger stormed out of the Great Hall. I could feel the pure, unadulterated hate in the glare she had shot me before she left. I knew she was angry with the Weasel. Hell, everybody knew she was head over heels for the boy. Everybody except the animal himself. I knew he wasn't observant, but honestly, you'd have to be blind not to see the adoring looks Granger sent him, or the way she seemed to cling to his words, or the way she lit up when he was around. Sickening and unhealthy as it was, she loved him. But I didn't care about that. I cared about my bet with Zabini….

**Hermione's POV:**

I hated men. It was as simple as that. I hated men that ignored what was right in front of them. I hated cocky arrogant bastards. And I hated men that hated me for no reason and wouldn't kiss me. I hated them all. I was too heated to think about Ronald and that…that…. Bimbo, so I focused all my attention on this bet. Zabini would kiss me and Malfoy would eat his words. Undoable challenge my arse. I started thinking. Zabini liked tall, blonde, beautiful, and pure-blood girls. I was petite, with bushy brown locks, average looking, and Muggle-born. So I was 0 for 4. Great. I banged my head against the table I was sitting at. What was I going to do?

Then a thought popped into my head. I sat up, alert. Zabini wanted a beauty? Well damn it, I'd give him one. I jumped out of my seat quickly, effectively knocking it over. I received a sharp glance from Madam Pince, but I was too elated care as I picked the chair back up and stuffed my things inside my bag. I smirked as I set off out of the library to find the person I needed more than anyone. Malfoy had underestimated me greatly. He probably figured I'd go about this in a logical and Hermione-ish way. And I admit that's how I had started. But he didn't know how low I would stoop to win. To prove him wrong. I would go so low, I'd be farther down than his reserved spot in the seventh circle of Hell.

I ran up to the Gryffindor Common Room and headed straight up to my dorm that I shared with Lavender Brown and Padma Patile. When I got into the room it was empty. I threw my stuff down and went back down to search the grounds. I needed her right now more than ever. If ever.

I went down by the Black Lake to check Harry's, Ron's, and my favorite spot. No luck there. I searched the Great Hall, but to no prevail. I checked the astronomy tower, the Quidditch Pitch, everywhere. Finally, I gave up. I would see her later anyway. I decided to go back to my haven in the library and catch up on some reading. I didn't feel like doing any homework at the moment. Besides, all I had to get done was one essay for Charms. No biggie. I found a book that I had been meaning to read for a while now and settled into my favorite chair before opening the book and allowing its contents to overpower my senses.

**Blaise's POV:**

Stupid Malfoy with his stupid bets and that stupid Mudblood. How dare he think that I could ever have feelings for that little know-it-all? I mean, everyone knew that she had grown into herself. She wasn't that awkward little girl she had been five years ago. She was a woman now, with a woman's body. And a nice body at that. Her curves had filled out in all the right places and her bushy hair had been tamed a little bit since she was eleven. She was short, petite, but it was cute. It went well with her features. And I have to admit, she was damn sexy when she got all haughty with Malfoy. That fire burned in her eyes and her body got tight with tension. Granger was a vixen. Every guy had noticed it. Well, maybe except for Weasel, but he didn't look much further than his plate to see what was right in front of him, pining for his attention. He didn't notice those plump lips of hers pouting when he ignored her. Or her eyes, staring with such a passion that it could melt the stars. He didn't see it. But every other male in Hogwarts did. Including me.

But that hardly meant I had feelings for her. She was sexy as hell and I wanted her. End of discussion. But Malfoy didn't believe me. And when I had tried to argue my point, he just shoved off my excuses and offered me a bet. And damn it if I didn't take it. Draco and I had been friends for years, always making bets. He usually won, though, because he always pulled strings, making his puppets do whatever he wanted. But this was one bet that I was going to win. I was going to be in control this time. And I'd be damned if Malfoy took this victory away from me.

Author Review:

Okay, guys. If you've ever written a story, then you know how good it feels to get reader's opinions. SO please review. Tell me what you want to see and I'll see what I can do to work it in. Thanks for reading. =D


	4. Changes

Disclaimer: Plot=mine. Character, setting, spells, creatures, potions=J.K. Rowling. We're almost even.

**Hermione POV**

"Hermione," someone whispered, shaking me awake. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Stretching, I looked at the person that had disturbed me and glared.

"What do you want, Ginny? Can't you see I was in the middle of something important?" I grumbled playfully.

She rolled her eyes. "I heard you were looking for me. So when I got back from Hagrid's I came looking for you. Neville said you really wanted to talk to me. So, talk."

I looked at her for a second before it all clicked. And then I jumped up and tackled her. "Shh!" I said urgently. I put my hand over her mouth and she was looking at me like I'd gone crazy. I dragged her farther back into the library. No one ever went back here because the only books that this section contained wee old books filled with the history of historical wizarding places. Nobody ever cared about these things. And at the moment, neither did I.

I lifted my hand from Ginny's face and she wiped her mouth from where she had licked and slobbered on my hand in an attempt to shake me off. "What in the world is your problem? Are you trying to kidnap me or something because I'm telling you right now, my brothers will pay for you to keep me. And then you still have to deal with me."

I rolled my eyes at her. "No, I'm not trying to kidnap you. I need you to do me a favor. I need you to make me sexy."

Now, I don't know if it's normal for someone's jaw to reach the floor, so I was slightly worried when Ginny's jaw dropped nearly that far. "Are you serious?" she asked incredulously.

I nodded. "Yes. I made a bet with the devil that I couldn't get Zabini to kiss me. And he likes sexy girls. I only have a little while to do this, so I need your help."

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up. Draco bet you that you couldn't get Blaise Zabini to kiss you? But why would he bet you that?"

"I don't know. He said it was because he was bored. Of course I don't believe him, but he played with my pride and I agreed. So will you help me?" I gave her a puppy dog face, but it was unnecessary. Ginny had been dying to give me a make over for years now and only my smart wand work had kept her away. She grinned ear to ear and shook her head fervently.

"Of course," she said. Then she grabbed my wrist, saying, "Come on," as she tugged me away.

"Where in Merlin's beard are we going?" I asked pulling my arm back.

"Down to Hogsmead, of course," she said as if it were obvious. "We have to get started right away.

"Dinner will be starting soon," I argued. "And I'm hungry."

She gave an exasperated sigh. "Dinner doesn't start for another three hours. We have plenty of time. Now let's go. You have a deadline to meet and we have a lot of work to do."

I nodded, defeated, and reluctantly allowed myself to be dragged away from my safe haven in the library. Somehow I knew that I was leaving it, not for the last time, but for a while. I was entering uncharted territory, but I would do it fearlessly. Or at least seemingly fearless. That meant leaving behind the things that were safe. What was that old saying? You can't do things you've never done, unless you go places you've never been. I wondered why wizards looked down on Muggles when Muggles were geniuses. They had a saying for everything. They _knew._

Ginny led me down the stairs, pass friends and enemies alike, and out the front doors. Nobody looked at us curiously. Nobody noticed the know-it-all being dragged away. Was I really that plain? That much of a novelty. I mean, I knew that these people saw me everyday, but really. You'd think at least one of them would at least look up and say hi. But no. They didn't. They continued talking with their friends, ignoring the brunette being dragged out of the school by the feisty red-head.

Ginny had marched us down the path to Hogsmead in no time. She led me immediately to the clothing store, a little Ding! notifying the clerk that we were here. The saleslady was in here mid-thirties and was dressed in stylish but inexpensive clothing. She had an average waistline and was storing more in the cellar than in the attic if you catch my drift. She had a large, sharp nose and beady green eye that reminded me of the moss one would see in a swamp. Her eyebrows were placed up high and she had the permanent look of surprise. Her pale skin was emphasized by her dark hair, which was braided and pulled over her shoulder to hang on her small breasts. Her smile was the only thing that made her uniquely beautiful. All women had something. Her's was her wonderful smile. As we walked in she flashed us that pretty smile.

"What can I do for you, ladies?" she asked in a high, girlish voice.

Ginny took over. "My friend here has recently been through a bad breakup," Ginny lied with a mastery born of years of skirting around trouble with her brothers. "She was done horribly wrong and she wanted a little…retaliation. Can you help us?"

The woman's warm smile changed into a knowing, rueful one. "Certainly. We have plenty of pieces that will…bring justice to the cause. Now, the situation? Are we just showing him what he's missing or getting someone new?" While she asked these questions, two thought were running through my head. 1) _Pieces?_ 2)_Hell really does have no fury like a woman's scorn._ As I looked into the woman's eyes, I could tell she had been served a great injustice and she knew her revenge.

"A little bit of both," I answered, taking over. I smiled a little bit, too, but quickly gave up when I realized it looked phony.

"Well, then, I know a few things that will do splendidly. Right this way, ladies. Oh, and by the way. My name is Aseria."

"That's a pretty name," I commented. "I'm Hermione and this is Ginny."

She nodded and smiled and the compliment. "Thank you. Now, here are a few things that are just about your size. They're not too trampy. You don't want to look like a trashy fool. But they will get the job done."

She handed me a whole bunch of clothes and swiveled me around towards the dressing room. As soon as I shut the door, I locked it behind me and took a few deep breaths. I ignored the mirror and stripped down before pulling on some purple material. An outfit. The shirt was a periwinkle color – the same color dress I had worn to the Yule Ball. It had a slit in both sleeves and was ruffled in a diagonal pattern across my chest. It seemed to fit my frame nicely. I also pulled on the black leggings that went along with it, following them with the shoes that had been slid under the stall door to me. Altogether I looked nice. I stepped out of the stall to await verdict.

Ginny's eyes popped out of her head and Aseria smiled that smile of her's. "Honey," she said, staring at me gleefully, "you're not going to have a single problem showing that ex of yours what's what."

Ginny nodded fervently and smiled. "You look amazing, Mione. You're going to be a heartbreaker. Now get in there and try on the rest of those clothes. If they look half as hot as that, then I'd say we're all set."

I grinned at the both of them and went back into my stall. I proceeded to model the clothes for them and each time I got the same euphoric reaction. This was definitely the confidence booster I had been in desperate need of since Ron began trading in time with me for that… idiotic bimbo. I grinned into the mirror as I had on my last killer outfit. I was hot red and sleeveless, clinging to my curves. Along with it, I had on a tight blue jean skirt. My feet were visible in my black, strappy high heels. I knew that I would reserve this outfit as a last resort, but it felt good knowing I could look this sexy.

As I gathered all my things together and we went up to pay for everything using my Gringott's debit card, my head was buzzing with the fun of learning you could be diabolical and girlish all at once. Aseria gave us one last wink and we grinned and waved as we walked out of the store. I started walking back up to the castle when Ginny grabbed me yet again. I looked at her and she shook her head. I sighed, knowing I couldn't win and followed her without question.

She led us to a salon and I groaned.

"Aw, come on, Mione. It'll be fun," Ginny said, trying to console me. She knew how I felt about my hair.

"I don't want to," I whined childishly.

She put her hands on her hips and said firmly, "Well, tough froggies. You're going because you asked for my help and I'm going to help, darn it! Now march!" So I marched right into that salon. I sat in one of the empty chairs and waited for someone to come over.

"Aw, Ms. Weasley. What brings you in here on this nice autumn day? I distinctly recall cutting your beautiful, fiery hair a few weeks ago," came a masculine voice.

Ginny smiled. "Yes, but I'm not here for me. I'd like you to see what you can do with my friend's hair, Mr. Anthony."

Mr. Anthony turned his gorgeous gaze on me. "Wow. Such lovely hair, if styled properly. Do you use anything products Ms…?"

"Granger," I mumbled, blushing. "And no."

He grinned. "Good. It would have made this condition worse. Now, to begin, we must wet it down. Follow me, please."

I would have followed this beautiful creature to the ends of the earth if he so bid it. Fortunately for my hormone-fuzzed brain, I didn't have to. Instead, I settled on a small washroom with warm pink walls. It invited me in and I felt comfortable. Mr. Anthony gestured for me to sit at one of the sinks. Once settled, he turned his wand on me and with an expert hand wet my hair down so that it was a sleek curly mess. Then he paused. He seemed to take a moment to think and then pointed his wand at me once more. Before I even had time to blink, I felt my hair falling out. In a moment of panic, I let out a yelp. Then, just as quickly, it stopped.

I put a shaking hand in my hair and to feel the damage. Instead of feeling the usual abundance of hair that I felt after taking a shower, my hair felt lighter, but it was still long. With embarrassment, I realized that he'd only thinned it out. I blushed and gave him a shy smile and he chuckled a little bit. He'd had that reaction before.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but it was necessary. It'll be smooth sailing from here on out," he said winking at me, causing a deeper blush. I made myself comfortable and nodded at him. He stepped closer with some scissors and started snipping. Ginny was settled in a chair and was reading her favorite magazine _Witches and Wizards_.

It didn't take long for Mr. Anthony to get the look he wanted. When he was finished, only a half hour had passed. "All right, darling. You look much better if you don't mind me saying. Now you can see that beautiful face without all that hair getting in the way."

Ginny looked up and came over and gasped. My eyes got wider and I looked hurriedly into the mirror and gasped myself. Mr. Anthony had given me bangs to frame my face and had added caramel highlights to my chocolate-colored hair, making me think of a Reece's. I grinned at my new reflection.

"Mione, yet again, you look amazing! This is all you've been needing these last few years. It's a whole new you. Malfoy will be choking down his words tomorrow at breakfast. And Zabini will definitely be drooling!" She gave me a firm hug and paid Mr. Anthony.

"Now," Ginny said as we stepped out of the shop, "we need to make one last stop and we'll be done."

I'd already given up with the whining and complaining, but my natural curiosity was not so yielding.

"Where are we going now?" I asked.

"We're going to go get you a few accessories and make up. Now come along."

We walked clear down to a little hidden boutique in the corner of the square. It was warm and smelled like midnight pomegranate, my favorite smell in the world. Ginny led me straight to the back, slipping in and out of the crowd of women with an expert's ease. We chose a few items such as bracelets and rings and necklaces. I even let Ginny talk me into a "sexy" anklet. "It adds a little mystery," she had said. I swear she could be a used cars salesman.

Then we moved a little to the right and picked out a couple cases of eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, and lip glosses. I paid for everything and we left carrying what seemed to be a million bags. We trudged our way back up to Hogwarts and dumped our purchases on my bed and I practically ran down to the Great Hall.

Harry, Ron, and Neville greeted me and Ginny briefly, barely sparing us a glance when we entered and I gave them a quick wave of acknowledgment and dug into my food. I tried to be careful not be get as bad as Ron, but I was really hungry. I didn't say much throughout the entire meal and when I was done I was exhausted. One on one time with Ginny could do that to a person. I said good night to everyone and made my way back up to my dormitory. I quickly put all my new things away and changed into my pajamas.

Crawling into my bed, I remembered that those three hadn't even noticed my hair. I gritted my teeth and decided that tomorrow I was going to make sure that I could not be ignored. I fell asleep with dreams of changes dancing in my head.

Author's Note: Hey everyone. I know it's been a while since I've posted for this story, but I've been really busy. I hope you guys can forgive me and still leave a review for this chapter. I feel really good about it and I hope you do, too.


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